Portuguese unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer Tekever and Australian autonomous optical intelligence specialist Arkeus have successfully integrated and flight tested Arkeus’ Warden hyperspectral optical radar (HSOR) on a Tekever AR3 EVO tactical UAV, Tekever announced on 4 November 2025.
The demonstration, which was the first time the Warden HSOR sensor has flown in Europe, confirmed the operational benefits of combining it with Tekever’s modular, shipborne-capable AR3 EVO, enabling real-time detection, classification and long-range tracking across maritime, littoral and overland theatres, even in low-visibility or electromagnetically contested environments.
The AR3 EVO, Tekever’s most advanced tactical UAV, is a flexible multi-mission platform capable of fixed-wing or vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) configurations, with precision launch and recovery in confined spaces and rapid deployment from land or sea. Its open, modular architecture facilitates the integration of next-generation payloads and AI-driven sensing systems, delivering enhanced situational awareness for operators across defence and security missions in challenging operational contexts.
The Warden HSOR, meanwhile, is designed for persistent, autonomous intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) in complex scenarios, providing material-based identification through high-resolution hyperspectral imaging. This enables operators to detect and identify objects that remain hidden, camouflaged or indistinct to traditional electro-optical/infra-red sensors — significantly expanding ISR capabilities for wide-area surveillance missions, including comms- and GPS-denied operations even within degraded conditions.
“This successful integration reflects Tekever’s commitment to continuously evolve operational capability through strategic collaboration,” said Mark Baxter, Senior Business Development at Tekever. “By combining the advanced sensing power of Arkeus’ Warden HSOR with the proven flexibility of AR3 EVO, we are delivering a new level of situational awareness to our customers, enabling them to operate effectively in the most demanding environments.”
“The combination of the Warden HSOR operating from the AR3 EVO provides customers with group 4 performance within a group 3 size, weight and power, said Simon Olsen,” CEO of Arkeus. “Through successful operational evaluations in both Australia and the US, the Warden has demonstrated unmatched range, unmatched coverage and unparalleled performance in the most challenging degraded visual environments. The Warden detects, locates and identifies contacts, before they become a threat. The speed of this integration demonstrates the critical edge this capability can provide to both civil and Defence customers in the UK and Europe, today.”
